The first choice I must make is the most crucial: which variety of tea should I choose? As you can see, I have purchased a few different kinds in order to cater for a large range of moods.
I have opted here for Assam tea, as its brisk and malty taste perfectly complements this Easter Sunday morning.
After selecting my tea, it is important to prepare correctly. Here I am using a tea infuser from Whittard to measure out the optimal amount.
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Of course, every tea drinker knows that it is imperative to only use freshly boiled water. Boiling water multiple times reduces its oxygen content, thus impairing the flavour considerably. Here I have opted to place the infuser into the mug prior to watering. This, I believe, is a subject of great debate in the tea drinking community. I have developed my own preference, and you must develop yours.
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Now it is imperative that I allow this finely crafted cup of tea to infuse for the correct amount of time. This, again, is a matter of personal preference. Experimentation will tell each drinker how long they must leave their tea to infuse for. I chose this tense wait to have a shower, as time has shown that shower duration correlates with tea brewing duration.
Some prefer to add milk or lemon to their cup of tea. Some like no adornment whatsoever. I am firmly in the former camp.
I have now come to the end of my journey to brew the optimal cup of tea. All that remains is to select the perfect venue for consumption.
Dear reader, in this page I have shared my thoughts on creating a cup of tea that is to be enjoyed. Too many of us take tea for granted in our daily lives, however I believe that this great drink is not something that should be consumed solely as part of a routine. Tea has a lot to offer, and we must feel thankful that such a versatile product exists in our world.
If there is one message that I hope to convey to you, it is that tea drinking is a personal, almost spiritual, experience. Almost every part of the tea brewing process is subject to taste. One must develop ones own habits, and this is something which is best done through experimentation. I encourage each and every one of you to purchase a different variety of tea the next time you visit your local supermarket. You may be pleasantly surprised as to the versatility that this ubiquitous drink has to offer.